The University of Maine and partners including Iberdrola SA (IBE) and Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co. plan to launch the first U.S. offshore wind turbine today in a pilot project that will help design a $96 million, 12-megawatt floating power system.

The 65-foot (20 meter) tower and blades will be towed to a site off the coast of Castine, about 35 miles south of Bangor, Maine, and is expected to be connected to the Central Maine Power Co. grid on June 2, Elizabeth Viselli, a university spokeswoman, said today in an interview. The VolturnUS system has 20 kilowatts of capacity and is one-eighth the scale of turbines that are expected to be deployed in 2016, she said.

VolturnUS is one of two floating offshore wind projects that Maine is planning with funding from the Energy Department to supply as much as 24 megawatts of capacity in 2016. Their goal is to reduce the cost of offshore wind to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour by 2020.

Statoil ASA (STL), Norway’s state-controlled oil company, in January received approval from the Maine Public Utilities Commission to build a $120 million offshore wind farm. The deepwater demonstration facility in the Gulf of Maine will use four, 3-megawatt floating turbines.

GOAL: Electrical energy self sufficiency (independence) for Humboldt County using a renewable source within five years.

MEANS: A wind turbine farm placed in a ten mile square at sea twenty miles offshore on floating barge platforms with the electricity collected onshore in one or more stations.. On 500′ centers this will comprise +/- 11,100 turbines.

ECONOMIC NOTES: Turbines and barges to be assembled locally in Humboldt County. This project should result in 500 or more local good paying jobs for welders, assemblers and mariners. If production starts in one year, we need to produce 10 barges per day to complete the project in 5 years.

ENGINEERING NOTES: Barges should be plug and play, towed out to sea for production and towed to port for maintenance. Barges, power transmission and anchors should be engineered to survive a 10,000 year tsunami.

ENVIRONMENTAL NOTES: Possible effect on seabirds. Possible effect on fish and marine mammals. Wind power production at this scale may alter global wind patterns. Possible conflict with marine shipping routes and fishing zones.

BENEFITS: Bountiful electric supply for Humboldt produced locally with a small carbon load, a boost to the local economy through cheaper power and good jobs, and a power plant that is very secure against disaster or attack. Humboldt County will be a world pioneer in wind power energy production.

For July’s rent (previous email below), we had to borrow $100 from a volunteer and good friend of PARC- and we need to pay it back! We also have bills to pay: electric and gas, phone lines, and the last payment for insurance on a van we use minimally, to haul our informational displays and music to various parts of town.

PARC just helped put on a wildly successful and fun Fair Wage Cafe in Cesar Chavez Park in Eureka on July 12th. Now, we need to catch up on our bills. Please donate whatever $ you can.

We are also in need of towels, natural dish soap, natural laundry soap, and socks.

If anyone knows of any places to rent in Eureka or thereabouts, please send some info.

Lastly, if you are new to PARC or know people who might want to help keep PARC going, but want more info about what we do here, send a note. We would be happy to talk or email with folks about the special and critical role PARC plays, in this region, when it comes to organizing, empowerment, survival, resistance, care, and connection for various communities, movements, and individuals.

Other ways to donate to PARC:
Come by and drop off donations (or call & we’ll come to you!) 707-442-7465
Address Money Orders to Kimberly Starr
Address Checks to James Decker
and/or mail any of the above to:

]]>https://highboldtage.wordpress.com/2014/07/12/canvass-eureka-for-measure-r/feed/0HighBoldtageChris Kerrigan to Speak at Fair Wage Cafe, Hammond Park, July 12https://highboldtage.wordpress.com/2014/07/10/chris-kerrigan-to-speak-at-fair-wage-cafe-hammond-park-july-12/
https://highboldtage.wordpress.com/2014/07/10/chris-kerrigan-to-speak-at-fair-wage-cafe-hammond-park-july-12/#commentsThu, 10 Jul 2014 14:02:45 +0000http://highboldtage.wordpress.com/?p=15621]]>Supervisor Candidate and former Eureka City Council Member Chris Kerrigan will be making a short speech at our Fair Wage Café.

Greetings from the busiest space I know, PARC. So busy that we didn’t send anything out, much less throw an anniversary party for our 5 YEAR HERE ANNIVERSARY! As of June 26th , we’ve been in our current location at the library end of 3rd Street for 5 years.

I remember… four of us (women) first opening the door, burning sage in every corner, setting up a ceramic water holder, and hanging a special hand-tied bundle of dried leaves- setting up the space to be welcoming and healthy for everyone who would enter, a creative and comfortable place in which to cultivate community in rebellion.

We have our ups and downs here. Attempting creative, empowering, and caring ways to resist, survive, and transform through the myriad problems spawned by colonialism, neo-liberalism, sexism, capitalism… disconnection.

With help from many of you (and some who don’t use email at all!), PARC stays open about 12 hours a day, 9:30am-9:30pm. THANK YOU!! People have come to know that they can use our dishes and cooking utensils for events, call or come by to document and strategize when police or landlords have violated or are violating their rights, plan for or attend workshops and trainings, use the phone or computer, create and copy fliers and informational handbills, get help with rescuing animals, publicize “radical” events, organize encampments and protest actions, pick up various independent newspapers and reading materials, get something to eat, acquire clean warm clothes, network to find who or what they need, pick up shampoo or blankets or a toothbrush, get involved in liberatory projects, or simply… relax.

It’s not always easy to keep toilet paper stocked in the bathroom, computers working, rain from mucking up the place, everyone in dry warm clothes, phone bills paid, and ink in the copiers. Even utilizing 12 hours a day, it’s difficult to respond and organize around the NEEDS and STRUGGLES that have been created and perpetuated by a deliberate break down of community. But, we continue on… What else can we do?!

Please donate what you can:

PARC bills include $750 monthly rent; gas/electricity about $60- $70; two phone bills for $25 and $55 a month.

Other ways to donate to PARC:
Come by and drop off donations (or call & we’ll come to you!) 707-442-7465
Address Money Orders to Kimberly Starr
Address Checks to James Decker
and/or mail any of the above to:

PARC
P.O. Box 5692
Eureka, CA 95502

]]>https://highboldtage.wordpress.com/2014/07/03/parcs-5th-anniversary-please-donate-if-you-are-able/feed/0HighBoldtageShould the City of Eureka Open a Public Owned Gas Station?https://highboldtage.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/should-the-city-of-eureka-open-a-public-owned-gas-station/
https://highboldtage.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/should-the-city-of-eureka-open-a-public-owned-gas-station/#respondWed, 02 Jul 2014 15:43:32 +0000http://highboldtage.wordpress.com/?p=15614]]>Given the obvious in your face corruption in the local fuel supply I say YES! A small town in Kentucky just voted to open a city owned station because the people there face the same kind of corruption that we do here in Eureka. Its time to fight back.

The town is Somerset Kentucky and they seem to be a high fuel price island just like Eureka and Arcata.

I am running for City Council, and would be honored to have your support and your vote this November. There is so much to love about Eureka, and I want to help sustain what IS working now. I also want to see real progress in the following areas: